The Chicago Riverwalk and boat guide

This guide is for anyone planning a day on or beside the Chicago River: visitors picking between architecture cruises, locals who want to paddle downtown before the season ends, and anyone trying to work out whether a water taxi beats the L. It covers the Riverwalk on foot, the three main architecture cruise operators, the two water taxi companies, kayak and electric boat rentals, and the lake cruises that leave from Navy Pier.

Prices come from each operator’s own site in late September 2026. The Good to know section lists what closes when.

Walking the Riverwalk

The Chicago Riverwalk is a free, city-run path that runs 1.25 miles along the south bank of the main branch, from Lake Street to the lakefront, one level below Wacker Drive. The city lists its hours as 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The whole path is flat and takes about half an hour end to end without stops. Leashed dogs are allowed, and bikes are allowed with posted walk-your-bike zones. You can bring your own food and nonalcoholic drinks, but alcohol has to be bought and drunk at a vendor, and outside food is not welcome inside vendor seating areas.

Getting there and parking

From the Blue Line, get off at Clark/Lake and walk two blocks north; from the Red Line, Lake is the closest stop. Metra riders coming into Ogilvie or Union Station can walk east on Lake Street to the stairs at the west end. Stairs are everywhere, but ramps are limited to the west side of Franklin, the west side of Clark, the east side of State and Lower Stetson Avenue, and the city says there are no elevators yet. There is no Riverwalk garage. The city points drivers to metered spaces on the lowest level of Wacker Drive between Stetson and Field, and Wacker street parking is free on Sundays. Everyone else uses private garages in the Loop and River North, which are not cheap on a weekend.

Where to stop

At the Michigan Avenue bridge, the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum climbs five stories inside the southwest bridge tower, starting at the gears that lift the bridge. Admission is pay what you can, with a suggested $5 to $10, and the museum lists Wednesday through Sunday hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guided tours are $15 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. through October.

For a drink with a view of the boat traffic, Chicago Brewhouse at 33 E Riverwalk, at Wabash, pours only Chicago-brewed beer and pairs it with a street-food menu of Maxwell Street Polish sausages and Pilsen-style tacos. Farther west, City Winery at the Riverwalk at 11 W Riverwalk runs a wine garden with a retractable, climate-controlled enclosure, so the wine garden is a decent bet on a cold or wet day; the site lists daily hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The east end, past Columbus Drive, is quieter. Island Party Hut at 355 E Riverwalk is a tiki bar and grill that also runs party-boat charters and ticketed cruises. Next door to the kayak launch, TacoRio Urban Cantina at 457 E Riverwalk is a big open patio for tacos and margaritas, run by the team behind Urban Kayaks. There are no reservations, and live music is on the schedule into October.

The stretch between State Street and Michigan Avenue is packed on summer weekends and around cruise departures. Weekday mornings are calmer.

Architecture cruises compared

All three big operators leave from within a block of the Michigan Avenue bridge and sell drinks on board. The differences are who narrates, how long, and the price.

Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise

The Chicago Architecture Center cruise runs aboard boats operated by Chicago’s First Lady Cruises, and it is the only one of the three narrated by the center’s trained volunteer docents. It lasts 90 minutes and starts at $57. Board at 112 E Wacker Drive, at the southeast corner of the Michigan Avenue bridge, under the black awning, and arrive 30 minutes early. The garage at 111 E Wacker gives cruise guests a discount for up to four hours with a validation sticker. First Lady’s 2026 season runs March 15 to November 22.

Wendella

Family owned since 1935, Wendella Tours & Cruises is the value pick and the one that runs in cold weather. The 90-minute river tour is $45 for adults and $20 for kids 4 to 12, and the route reaches Goose Island and Chinatown. The 45-minute version is $28 and $14, which suits kids and short layovers. The 90-minute Lake & River tour, also $45, goes through the Chicago Lock for skyline views from Lake Michigan. The dock is at 400 N Michigan Avenue, by the Wrigley Building on the northwest corner of the bridge. The nearest Divvy dock is at Hubbard and Rush.

Shoreline Sightseeing

Tours from Shoreline Sightseeing come in two lengths: a 60-minute tour from $39 and a 75-minute tour from $46, with kids 3 to 12 from $20. Boats leave from 401 N Michigan Avenue, across the river from Wendella, and from 124 N Streeter Drive at Navy Pier, which Shoreline says is the easier dock for wheelchairs.

The short version: pick the CAC cruise if the commentary matters most, Wendella for price and off-season dates, and Shoreline if you are staying near Navy Pier.

Water taxis

Two companies run water taxis, with separate docks and tickets. Neither is narrated.

The commuter option is Chicago Water Taxi, owned by Wendella. The main route links Michigan Avenue (400 N Michigan), the Ogilvie/Union dock at the northwest corner of the Madison Street bridge, and Chinatown at Ping Tom Memorial Park. The full run takes about 45 minutes. A one-way ride is $10, kids 3 and under ride free, and a 10-ride commuter pass drops the fare to $3. There is no cash on board. Bikes can use the racks between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The company says its boats do not go to Navy Pier, and the season generally runs March through the end of December.

Shoreline runs the other network, with docks at Navy Pier, Michigan Avenue, Museum Campus and Buckingham Fountain, and Union Station/Willis Tower. Boats come every 20 to 30 minutes. From Navy Pier, a ride to Michigan Avenue is $10 for adults, and a ride to Museum Campus, Buckingham Fountain or Willis Tower is $17. A 24-hour day pass is $36 for adults and $18 for kids. Single tickets are sold only at the docks, by card. Shoreline’s water taxis are not wheelchair accessible, the Union Station dock requires stairs, and the service generally runs May through September, so expect limited service now.

Kayak and paddleboard rentals

The main branch has heavy tour-boat traffic, and both outfitters give a safety briefing before launch.

Downtown, Urban Kayaks launches from the east end of the Riverwalk at 435 E Riverwalk, near Lake Shore Drive. Single and tandem kayak rentals start at $25 an hour, pro-rated after the first hour. Renters must be 18 to go out alone, and beginners have to take a lesson or share a tandem with an experienced paddler. Guided tours start at $60 for two hours. The catch is timing: Urban Kayaks lists its Riverwalk season as ending around October 1, 2026, and the lakefront stand at Monroe Harbor closed around September 1.

For a calmer start, try Kayak Chicago. The company’s river location at 1220 W Le Moyne St, near the North Avenue bridge, launches onto the North Branch by Goose Island and the Wild Mile, with no tour boats until you choose to paddle toward downtown. Single kayaks are $30 an hour and doubles are $40, and the outfitter lists river hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Street parking on Le Moyne and Magnolia is free, which is rare on this list. Paddleboards are rented only at the company’s Montrose Beach stand, not on the river.

Self-drive electric boats

If you would rather sit, Chicago Electric Boat Company, which now also goes by Chicago Boat Company, rents small electric boats you drive yourself. A Duffy boat for up to eight people is $155 an hour from Marina City at 300 N State Street, and 1950s and 1960s retro boats for four leave from City Winery for $275 per 90 minutes. The driver must be 21 with a valid license and cannot drink; a licensed captain is $75 an hour extra with a two-hour minimum.

Boat tours from Navy Pier

Navy Pier sits in Streeterville at 600 E Grand Avenue, and its boats mostly head onto the lake rather than the river. Shoreline’s Skyline Lake Tour is 45 minutes and $34 for adults, $13 for kids 3 to 12, with recorded narration before 5 p.m.; it runs daily from spring through autumn, weather permitting.

The dining boats and Seadog speedboats at the pier belong to City Cruises, part of the national City Experiences company, which runs brunch, lunch and dinner cruises. The Premier Dinner Cruise on Lake Michigan lasts 2.5 hours, semi-formal dress is recommended, and prices vary by date. This fall the Seadog boats are running haunted river tours.

The schooner Tall Ship Windy, a 148-foot, four-masted schooner on the pier’s south dock, wrapped up a 30th season at the pier on September 27, 2026.

Getting there is the hard part. The nearest L stop, Grand on the Red Line, is about a mile west, so most people take CTA buses 29, 65, 66 or 124; the 124 connects to Ogilvie, Union Station and Millennium Station for Metra riders. The pier’s own garages charge $21 for under an hour and $41 for two to four hours, and the pier validates a $15 rate at off-site garages, including Grand Plaza at 540 N State Street. Summer weekends and Wednesday and Saturday fireworks nights are the most crowded.

Good to know

Checked September 28, 2026.

• Urban Kayaks lists its Riverwalk season as ending around October 1, 2026. Kayak Chicago’s river location was still posting fall hours.
• The McCormick Bridgehouse is taking reservations for bridge lift viewing on October 3 and October 10, 2026, and guided tours run through October.
• Chicago’s First Lady and the CAC cruise run through November 22, 2026. Wendella says its boats cruise year-round, with climate-controlled cabins, and Chicago Water Taxi generally runs through December.
• Tall Ship Windy’s 2026 season ended September 27.
• City Cruises is advertising 30 percent off fall dining cruises with code FALL30 for bookings made by October 4, 2026.
• Riverwalk bars and patios are seasonal and weather dependent. Check each vendor’s site or social accounts before a late-fall visit.

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